PLAINVIEW – The Students in Free Enterprise team from Wayland Baptist University swept its opponents yesterday at the SIFE regional competition held in Dallas. The win advances the WBU team to the 2005 National Competition slated for May 22-24 in Kansas City, Mo.

The regional competition is a chance for the SIFE teams to showcase the projects they’ve completed during the school year. SIFE teams create economic opportunities in their communities by organizing outreach projects that teach market economics, entrepreneurship, personal financial success skills and business ethics. Projects are judged on creativity, innovation and effectiveness, requiring advance research and measurement by team members.

This is the second consecutive regional championship for Wayland SIFE, which is in its third year of existence. This is the first time Wayland SIFE has won individual top competitions which are awarded for outstanding projects in the four categories.

The WBU SIFE team completed 38 projects in Plainview and surrounding communities which impacted persons ranging in age from elementary school students to senior adults. SIFE students gave a combined 2,017 volunteer hours to these projects, ranging from computer literacy classes conducted in cooperation with the Plainview and Lockney school systems to “Free Enterprise Moments,” a series of public service announcements aired on radio stations reaching 25,000 square miles of West Texas. Wayland SIFE students also designed an online membership survey for the Plainview Chamber of Commerce, taught college students how to invest for retirement and conducted mock interviews and resume reviews for graduating seniors at three area high schools.

WBU Assistant Executive Vice President Bobby Hall said this year’s experience has been a rewarding one.

“The voluntary commitment of these students, who are among the best Wayland has to offer and are involved in many different levels of university life, is remarkable,” Hall said. “SIFE is the most demanding and rewarding student organization that I have had personal involvement with. The competition is keen and our students were flawless in their delivery.”